A method and system for maintaining a data collaboration conference. In one embodiment, a method includes but is not limited to monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status, and promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to the monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable. In one embodiment, hardware and software are utilized to effect the foregoing described method. In one embodiment, a method includes but is not limited to monitoring for the presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status; promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to the monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable; and directing that the second general conference controller assume to provider status, in response to a determination that the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status. In one embodiment, hardware and software are utilized to effect the foregoing described method.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: during a data collaboration conference, monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status; and promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable, wherein said data collaboration conference is maintained.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: monitoring for the presence of the first general conference controller via a distributed top provider manager resident within a computer system active in a data collaboration conference.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable further includes: promoting a general conference controller having an alternate top provider status to top provider status in response to said monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: at least one distributed top provider manager monitoring a status of the first general conference controller having top provider status.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said at least one distributed top provider manager monitoring a status of the first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: the at least one distributed top provider communicating with at least one keep-alive monitor.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said at least one distributed top provider manager monitoring a status of the first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: the at least one distributed top provider manager communicating with at least one other distributed top provider manager.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: at least one keep-alive monitor monitoring the status of a node containing the first general conference controller having top provider status.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable further includes: a general conference controller having a second alternate top provider status being promoted to a first alternate top provider status.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: directing that the second general conference controller assume top provider functions, in response to a determination that the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said directing that the second general conference controller assume top provider status, in response to a determination that the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status further includes: determining whether the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: reassigning a hierarchy of alternate general conference controllers in an event that one or more alternate general conference controllers become not viable.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said reassigning the hierarchy of alternate general conference controllers in an event that one or more alternate general conference controllers become not viable further comprises: managing the hierarchy below a first alternate top provider in response to a first alternate top provider's promotion to top provider status.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: informing at least the second general conference controller as to a state of the first conference controller.
14. A system comprising: during a data collaboration conference, means for monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status; and means for promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said means for monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable, wherein said data collaboration conference is maintained.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said means for monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: means for monitoring for the presence of the first general conference controller via a distributed top provider manager resident within a computer system active in a data collaboration conference.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein said means for promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said means for monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable further includes: means for promoting a general conference controller having an alternate top provider status to top provider status in response to said means for monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein said means for monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: means for monitoring a status of the first general conference controller having top provider status.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said means for monitoring a status of the first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: means for communicating with at least one keep-alive monitor.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein said means for monitoring a status of the first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: means for communicating with at least one other distributed top provider manager.
20. The system of claim 14 , wherein said means for monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status further includes: means for monitoring the status of a node containing the first general conference controller having top provider status.
21. The system of claim 14 , wherein said means for promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said means for monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable further includes: means for promoting a general conference controller having a second alternate top provider status to a first alternate top provider status.
22. The system of claim 14 , further comprising: means for directing that the second general conference controller assume top provider functions, in response to a determination that the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein said means for directing that the second general conference controller assume top provider status, in response to a determination that the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status further includes: means for determining whether the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status.
24. The system of claim 14 , further comprising: means for reassigning a hierarchy of alternate general conference controllers in an event that one or more alternate general conference controllers become not viable.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein said means for reassigning the hierarchy of alternate general conference controllers in an event that one or more alternate general conference controllers become not viable further comprises: means for managing the hierarchy below a first alternate top provider in response to a first alternate top provider's promotion to top provider status.
26. The system of claim 14 further comprising: means for informing at least the second general conference controller as to a state of the first conference controller.
27. A program product comprising: signal bearing media bearing software operable to perform the following steps: during a data collaboration conference, monitoring for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status; and promoting at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said means for monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable, wherein said data collaboration conference is maintained.
28. The program product of claim 27 , wherein said signal bearing media comprises transmission media.
29. The program product of claim 27 , wherein said signal bearing media comprises recordable media.
30. The program product of claim 27 , wherein signal bearing media bearing software is further operable to perform the following step: reassigning a hierarchy of alternate general conference controllers in an event that one or more alternate general conference controllers become not viable.
31. The program product of claim 30 , wherein said signal bearing media comprises transmission media.
32. The program product of claim 30 , wherein said signal bearing media comprises recordable media.
33. The program product of claim 27 : wherein signal bearing media bearing software is further operable to perform the following step: informing at least the second general conference controller as to a state of the first conference controller.
34. The program product of claim 33 , wherein said signal bearing media comprises transmission media.
35. The program product of claim 33 , wherein said signal bearing media comprises recordable media.
36. A system comprising: a network interface; a keep-alive monitor; and a distributed top provider manager (DTPM) configured to: during a data collaboration conference, monitor for a presence of a first general conference controller having top provider status; and promote at least a second general conference controller one level in status hierarchy in response to said monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable, wherein said data collaboration conference is maintained.
37. The system of claim 36 , wherein said DTPM is resident within a computer system active in a data collaboration conference.
38. The system of claim 36 , wherein said DTPM is further configured to: promote a general conference controller having an alternate top provider status to top provider status in response to said monitoring indicating that the first general conference controller is no longer viable.
39. The system of claim 36 , wherein said DTPM is further configured to communicate with said at least one keep-alive monitor.
40. The system of claim 36 , wherein said DTPM is further configured to communicate with at least one other DTPM of another system.
41. The system of claim 36 , wherein said keep-alive monitor is configured to: monitor the status of a node containing the first general conference controller having top provider status.
42. The system of claim 36 , wherein said DTPM is further configured to: promote a general conference controller having a second alternate top provider status to a first alternate top provider status.
43. The system of claim 36 , wherein said DTPM is further configured to: direct that the second general conference controller assume top provider functions, in response to a determination that the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status.
44. The system of claim 43 , wherein said DTPM is further configured to: determine whether the second general conference controller has been promoted to top provider status.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 17, 2000
December 30, 2003
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.